Neighbors seek buyer for historic Markham House

Neighbors in the Laurelhurst area are running out of time to find someone to buy a historic home there and save it from demolition.

Developer Peter Kusyk is planning to begin tearing down the Markham House at 3206 Northeast Glisan Street on Sept. 22 and eventually replace it with two new houses. But he is willing to sell it to anyone who wants to restore it before then.

"Peter has been great to work with, but now we need to find someone willing to buy and restore the Markham House," says nearby resident Barbara Pierce.

The house, which was built in 1910, was one of the first homes in the Laurelhurst neighborhood. It is one of the rare Mission Revival designs in Portland and includes a unique leaded glass window in the ceiling of the dining room. But it has also suffered from ill-advised remodeling projects and a lack of maintenance in recent years.

Many residents across the city are upset about the increasing number of single-family homes being demolished to make way for one or two new houses. Neighbors in Northwest and Southeast Portland have pooled their resources to preserve some homes by purchasing them in recent months. Mayor Charlie Hales has promised to propose steps to slow the demolition of historic homes but has not yet released any specifics.

Those interested can learn more on the Facebook page devoted to saving the Markham House at https://www.facebook.com/savemarkhamhome.